Men OK after boat takes on water

Published: Friday, May 24, 2013 at 6:46 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, May 24, 2013 at 6:46 p.m.

Two men escaped injury Friday afternoon after their boat began to take on water on High Rock Lake.

Tyler Nance, 21, and Nick Brisson, 21, both of Thomasville, were fishing between the Wildlife Access area and the High Rock dam when their boat began to fill with water. Nance alerted his mother, Nancy, by phone that his boat was beginning to turn over. The mother immediately called 911.

First responders were dispatched at about 4 p.m. to a call that a small jon boat had capsized. Davidson County Rescue Squad Chief Reggie Lookabill said the Southmont Volunteer Fire Department, the rescue squad, sheriff's deputies and Davidson County EMS searched for about 40 minutes until the men were found. A firefighter located the men, who were uninjured, and their boat, which had been tied up to land.

The boat, according to the SVFD, did not fully capsize. A SVFD firefighter also reported the wind caused the incident to happen as the waters were up.

Lookabill said the waves were rough and pushed the boat to the bank where the boat began to fill with water. He said the men abandoned the boat and swam to shore.

"The water was really rough and the wind was blowing," the chief said. "I think they were overwhelmed by the waves and the rough water."

Lookabill said Wanda Nance made the initial call. Once she heard the boat was sinking, she told her son and his friend to swim.

The mother told The Dispatch that her son had just got the boat about a month ago. She said it was the first time he had taken the boat out and it was equipped with life jackets. Wanda Nance said she heard from her son about 3 p.m., and he was excited that he and his friend had caught a lot of fish.

"As long as he is alive, it's OK," she said about two hours after the incident. "They go fishing all the time, every weekend. This is just a freak accident. I think it was because it's so windy and (they are) not used to it."

Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext, 217 or at darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com.

<p>Two men escaped injury Friday afternoon after their boat began to take on water on High Rock Lake.</p><p>Tyler Nance, 21, and Nick Brisson, 21, both of Thomasville, were fishing between the Wildlife Access area and the High Rock dam when their boat began to fill with water. Nance alerted his mother, Nancy, by phone that his boat was beginning to turn over. The mother immediately called 911.</p><p>First responders were dispatched at about 4 p.m. to a call that a small jon boat had capsized. Davidson County Rescue Squad Chief Reggie Lookabill said the Southmont Volunteer Fire Department, the rescue squad, sheriff's deputies and Davidson County EMS searched for about 40 minutes until the men were found. A firefighter located the men, who were uninjured, and their boat, which had been tied up to land.</p><p>The boat, according to the SVFD, did not fully capsize. A SVFD firefighter also reported the wind caused the incident to happen as the waters were up.</p><p>Lookabill said the waves were rough and pushed the boat to the bank where the boat began to fill with water. He said the men abandoned the boat and swam to shore. </p><p>"The water was really rough and the wind was blowing," the chief said. "I think they were overwhelmed by the waves and the rough water."</p><p>Lookabill said Wanda Nance made the initial call. Once she heard the boat was sinking, she told her son and his friend to swim.</p><p>The mother told The Dispatch that her son had just got the boat about a month ago. She said it was the first time he had taken the boat out and it was equipped with life jackets. Wanda Nance said she heard from her son about 3 p.m., and he was excited that he and his friend had caught a lot of fish.</p><p>"As long as he is alive, it's OK," she said about two hours after the incident. "They go fishing all the time, every weekend. This is just a freak accident. I think it was because it's so windy and (they are) not used to it."</p><p>Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext, 217 or at darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com.</p>